Teen beaten to death at internet addiction clinic

[Unamused Cat]

China - His parents hoped their teenage son would be home in a month, cured of his addiction to the Internet. They never thought that within 10 hours of taking him to an addiction clinic they would receive a telephone call notifying them that the 16-year-old was dead.

Deng Senshan was addicted to playing on the Internet – just like tens of millions of other young Chinese. He was just the latest teenager to be sent by his parents to one of the clinics now proliferating across China to cure youngsters of their obsession with online gaming.

His parents delivered their son on Saturday to the Guangxi Qihuang Survival Training Camp, paying 7,000 yuan (700 pounds) for a month of treatment. Deng Fei, his father, even specifically told supervisors that his son was shy and somewhat introverted and they should avoid putting too much pressure on him during the first couple of days. They agreed.

Instead, the boy was placed in solitary confinement shortly after his arrival and then beaten by his trainers who scolded him for running too slowly when he was ordered to go jogging. He was pronounced dead in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Mr Deng said: “My son was very healthy and was not a criminal. He just had an Internet addiction when I left him at the camp. We can't believe our only son was beaten to death."

He had signed an agreement with the camp to help his son “get away from bad behavior, regain confidence and establish positive life attitudes”. The contract also states: "The centre can take necessary approaches including punishment to educate the teenager, as long as the approaches will not abuse the child or impair his health."

Police said four people have been arrested in connection with the death of the teenager. One officer said: "We are investigating a case where a high school student was beaten to death by his camp supervisors. The case is still under investigation."

source

[Nell]

Internet addiction? Wow, what a little fucker. These parents were idiots and unfortunately the kid paid for it.

[Coyote]

What a fucked up world we live in. Why don’t they simply take away the teen’s computer, and send all the pedophiles and baby beaters to this clinic. Makes much more sense to me.

[Persephonae]

What a fucked up world we live in. Why don’t they simply take away the teen’s computer, and send all the pedophiles and baby beaters to this clinic. Makes much more sense to me.

I wholeheartedly concur.

[ImmortalOne]

Taking away the computer of an internet gaming addict doesn't solve the situation... neither does threats or anything else. Hundreds of people, if not thousands, have thrown away careers and families and their health over these games. Without moderation the internet addiction for gaming is growing to the point of other addictions. They are escapism and usually cheaper than a night out... And in China, this is even worse, because there are tons of companies that PAY these kids to spend HOURS upon hours playing these games to get virtual "money" which they then in turn sell to people on the internet/phone/etc in exchange for real money.

[sanityslipping]

Taking away the computer of an internet gaming addict doesn't solve the situation... neither does threats or anything else. Hundreds of people, if not thousands, have thrown away careers and families and their health over these games. Without moderation the internet addiction for gaming is growing to the point of other addictions. They are escapism and usually cheaper than a night out... And in China, this is even worse, because there are tons of companies that PAY these kids to spend HOURS upon hours playing these games to get virtual "money" which they then in turn sell to people on the internet/phone/etc in exchange for real money.

Where can I sign up?

[Kitty]

http://www.mygamesale.com/

Sites like that Sanity, the whole thing is pretty prolific in China.. there was even a Discovery/NatGeo/20-20 or somesuch special on it.. The kids in Asia take their gaming way too seriously.. Anyone recall the one that killed his friend for "selling" game items a couple of years ago?

[Unamused Cat]

I have to admit that I don't see the appeal of online gaming. Then again, that's not my generation.

[MC30]

ok so where are the x-box clinics, the ps1, ps2, ps3 clinics, the wii clinics....sorry i have the mind-set of take the shit AWAY! i don't care how many cyber-bucks they think they are making..(anyone here want to buy a cyber-home...i'm sellin' em cheap!) goddamn, what happened to being a PARENT and saying not NO but hell NO...oh shit...i just remembered the guy who killed his mom after taking away his halo 3....i don't CARE...! take the shit away and buy a taser if the little shit feels froggy....Internet rehab....MY ASS! (btw no offense to anyone here, i just think its lazy parenting in China considering they have the one child law and all.)

[Kitty]

I think console gaming would be covered, I haven's seen anything on American gaming rehab centers, but they have them in Europe (and China obviously)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/...n1773956.shtml
the first rehab in the Netherlands.

Signs of Addiction

Here are some symptoms or signs of video game addiction as well as computer game addiction to help determine if your children are addicted to video games, or if you and/or your boyfriend, husband, girlfriend or wife are video game addicts.

For Children:

Most of their “free time”, non-school hours are spent on the computer or playing video games.
Fatigue; tendency to fall asleep in school.
Not keeping up with homework assignments/not turning in homework on time.
Worsening grades.
Lying about computer or video game use so computer or video game privileges aren’t taken away.
Choosing the computer or playing video games rather than spending time with friends or family.
Dropping out of activities such as social groups, clubs or sports.
Irritable, cranky or agitated (withdrawal symptoms) when not playing a video game or on the computer.
For Adults:

Obsession or preoccupation about computer games or playing video games on a video game console excessively
Neglecting personal relationships with friends and family to spend more time playing video games
Difficulty keeping up with personal or professional responsibilities due to increased hours playing video games. Have you ever “called in sick” to stay home to play your favorite game?
Lying to others about computer or video game use. Do you sneak time to play games, perhaps late at night while others are asleep? Has someone close to you, perhaps your significant other, ever criticized you for spending too much time playing video games rather than spending time with them?
While not spending time on the internet or playing video games, do you feel angry, agitated, irritable or depressed? Do you experience withdrawal symptoms when not playing video games?
Do you spend most of your time thinking or wishing you could be playing your favorite game or surfing the web?
Do you become so involved in playing video games that you sometimes neglect to eat, sleep, or bathe?
Do you ever experience physical symptoms such as backaches, dry eyes or headaches after playing video games? Have you been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome or experience symptoms of carpal tunnel?
Let’s get real, shall we? If you are truly convinced that your teenagers or young children are addicted to video games or computer games, it’s your job as the parent to get your kids off the computer and off the video game console, providing them ample opportunity for active play and natural exercise in and outside of the home.

Make no mistake, video game addiction is a real addiction and if you are a parent that is concerned about your home-grown video game addict, it’s up to you to parent your children and closely monitor and limit their gaming activities. Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG’s) are designed to be addictive.

http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/2008...addiction.html